Tag: Isaiah Thomas

Are the Celtics Cursed at Point Guard?

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It was announced this week that Kemba Walker will be out until at least early January with a knee injury that continues to bother him and it got me thinking, why are all of the Celtics point guards almost always suffering from a debilitating injury? Is there some sort of curse on this team? Is this the curse of trading Rajon Rondo? The Celtics traded their, at the time, best player and 4x All-Star in Rondo on Dec. 18th, 2014 and the team has been like the Red Sox trying to replace Nomar at shortstop ever since. Pokey Reese, Orlando Cabrera, Edgar Renteria, Julio Lugo, Alex Gonzalez etc. etc. Ever since trading Rondo it seems like Celtics have seemingly always had a point guard dealing with career altering injuries.

Kemba met with the media today and detailed how his knee is still bothering him and how he got a stem cell injection to hopefully help, but he still doesn’t really know what the issue is. Cool. Kemba played his fewest minutes per game since his rookie year last season and started just 56 games in his first season with the C’s, which obviously was a disjointed mess due to the pandemic. Even Danny Ainge admits the team probably brought Kemba back from injury too soon as he played on a gimpy knee throughout the entire bubble it seemed.

Before that is what Kyrie Irving who missed 20+ games in 2017-18 plus the entire postseason with a knee injury of his own. Kyrie then missed 15 games the following season as he nursed the injury on his way out of town. I guess that shouldn’t have come as a surprise as Kyrie missed 10 or more games in five different seasons prior to his time in Boston, not to mention playing just 11 games at Duke before an injury ended his brief college career.

Before that it was Isaiah Thomas who had a debilitating hip injury in the 2017 playoffs. Granted it was in the playoffs and the Celtics traded him that offseason, but his absence killed a surging Celtics team that was making a run. Before that Isaiah was absolute nails as he finished 5th in MVP voting, playing in 76 regular season games (28.9 Points per game) that season, and 82 games (22.2 PPG) in 2015-16.

The Celtics did also draft Marcus Smart before the 2015 season at No. 6 overall, but opted to use him more as an off ball player/backup PG. Maybe Danny was protecting Smarf from the curse??

Looking back at the timeline of all this, the Celtics actually acquired Isaiah just two months after trading away Rondo so now I’m torn. Is this the curse of Rondo or Isaiah? Since the C’s traded Rondo he has yet to make another All-Star team and has only averaged double digit points once, but he did just win a ring with LeBron and the Lakers. Isaiah however has continued the #SlowGrind as he works his way back from said hip injury, but a lot of the league still thinks Danny did Isaiah dirty.

So name it after whoever you want, but one thing is clear, the Celtics are cursed at the point guard position.

What Do We Think of These New Celtics Jerseys?

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I think the Celtics/Nike got spooked by the reaction to last year’s Irish Pub City Edition jerseys (that Enes Kanter leaked) because people were massively split on those. They were fine (aside from the blue/green debate), but I think a lot of people saw them as pandering to the Irish fans in New England. I mean the team is called the Celtics so I get it, but still.

Now lets take a closer look at the just unveiled 2020-21 City Edition jerseys.

These new jerseys are an explicit homage to the 17 banners hanging from the rafters, which is a pretty cool idea when you think about it. But, when I see it on a jersey I don’t know, it doesn’t really translate for me. I think this is something that is better in theory than in actual practice. I give the team credit for mixing it up and being creative without just rehashing a slightly different throwback or doing a vomit inducing jersey with different colors. This jersey is clean and simple, but the block letters and stacked Boston Celtics on the front do sort of make it look like a knockoff.

You won’t see it during most games when the jerseys are tucked in, but there is an excellent subtle feature to these tops though; a quote from Red Auerbach in the bottom corner.

“The Boston Celtics are not a basketball team, they’re a way of life.”

A+ attention to detail here.

It was definitely a smart bet to play it safe this year as the Celtics have had some truly ghastly alternate jerseys over the years:

Full disclosure, I dig and own a pair of the grey shorts

One of my favorite jerseys to this day was the old Christmas Day uni that Nike canned when they took over in 2017 in favor of City Edition jerseys they can pump out every single year. The cursive lettering with the snowflake on the back collar was perfectly simple. Good luck finding one of those gems these days.

Maybe I’ll feel different when I see Jaylen Brown slam down a dunk wearing this, but until then I am an enthusiastic “meh” on these unis.

Isaiah Thomas, Clint Capela, and a Quick Check-In on the Celtics

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Image result for celtics offseason

In less than 12 hours, we could ultimately have a new NBA champion – as long as Toronto can pull off just one more victory over Golden State tonight in The Six. Even if they don’t, we’re still officially less than a week away from the NBA season being over no matter what. Then the real fun begins, as this will likely be one of the absolute craziest, landscape-changing NBA offseasons in recent memory.

The Celtics will no doubt be one of the most active squads throughout the league this summer, but which direction they choose to go in is the real question. What’s going to happen with Kyrie? Are we really going to get Anthony Davis? What do we do with Terry Rozier? How about going after a guy like Mike Conley (an idea I mentioned in my offseason wishlist piece a few weeks back)? Maybe Kemba Walker is an option? Or could Danny truly be interested in swinging a trade with Houston for a big like Clint Capela, and if so does that mean the whole Davis idea goes out the window???

Yes, it’s quite a lot to digest for even the most die-hard Celtics fan. And due to the incredibly fickle nature of NBA stars nowadays, things can change in an instant.

So rather than speculate on everything that will happen in the coming months, I’ve got you covered on a few tidbits from this past weekend to hold you over, including a former favorite yearning for a comeback as well as Danny’s alleged interest in one of the game’s top young bigs. Let’s hop to it:

I.T. Wants Back In

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This dude just doesn’t quit…but in a good way.

Two years after he was suddenly traded immediately following one of the most impressive, MVP-worthy individual seasons in recent Celtics history, Isaiah Thomas still has nothin’ but love for The Bean. And he let the people know it once again on Saturday with this tweet:

Since it seems pretty apparent that Kyrie Irving – the man for whom Thomas was traded – is on his way out the door, everybody knows the Celtics are likely to have a gaping hole at the point guard position next season. Though the team can simply bring back Terry Rozier (PLEASE DON’T, DANNY!) or go after a slew of other guys via trade or free agency, Thomas seems to think he can still get the job done himself.

And while I love the confidence, I.T., please understand why many are skeptical. After playing in a total of just 44 games over the past two seasons, for three different teams no less, there are those out there who are surprised the 30-year-old is still trying to play at all. His recurrent hip issues – which apparently started during his last season with the C’s – have taken quite a long time to heal (if they even really have at all), and he was only able to play in just 12 measly games for Denver this past season.

However, maybe it took so long because he apparently gutted it out when the issues first arose and played through the pain, a decision which many believe may have severely hampered his recovery. Or maybe he just needed a few years to heal up. Again, the dude is only 30 years old. And above all, maybe he just needs to be back in the place where his heart truly belongs to start playing like the absolute baller he truly is once again.

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Now, can he replace Kyrie’s production? Absolutely not! There are very, very few out there who could. But could he come in and compete with a guy like Rozier if all else fails, or at the very least serve as a nice bench piece and team leader that was desperately missing in last year’s locker room? Why not?!

So, if the price is right and I.T. is willing to lace ’em up for the Green once again, I wouldn’t say no. And Danny shouldn’t either. I would freakin’ love this!

Celtics Reportedly Looking Into Trade for Clint Capela

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On Sunday morning, Basketball Insider’s Steve Kyler tweeted out a report that the Celtics are actively engaged in trade talks for Rockets big man, Clint Capela:

He does note that “everything is fluid at this stage,” and this does not mean that Danny & Co. are definitely ready to change course and build the franchise around the 25-year-old Capela. But where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire, and it’s not surprising that the team would be interested.

Capela has been one of the NBA’s best-kept secrets for a couple years now. The 6’10” athletic beast was selected with the 25th overall pick in 2014, and for the past three seasons he’s averaged a robust 14.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Especially with how awful the Celtics were in the rebounding department at times last season, his skills on the glass would be extremely welcomed. His 1.5 blocks per contest also highlight his ability to protect the rim, too. Capela really could be a force on the interior that we haven’t seen since the days of Perk and K.G.

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But we have to be careful to not fall so in love with the player that we completely forget about the fit. I mentioned in my previous offseason piece that I wanted the Celtics to load up on more shooters due to the fact that’s simply how you win in today’s NBA. Again, the top six teams in the NBA in terms of three-pointers made in 2018-19 were, in order: Houston, Milwaukee, Golden State, Atlanta, Brooklyn, and the Celtics. With the exception of one squad (Atlanta), those are all playoff teams – and four were top-four seeds in their conference. Toronto, who is one win away from being this year’s champion, finished eighth. On the flip side, the top-two teams in terms of points in the paint this season were the Pelicans and Lakers. Soooo…yeah. I’ll stop there.

Capela has attempted two total three-point attempts in 295 career games! Just .0027 percent of his career field-goal attempts were from deep, and the guy is pretty much useless from an offensive standpoint when he’s more than five feet outside the paint. So before you start labeling him “our version of Draymond Green” (who owns a 32 percent career mark from three and is an also all-world passer), just don’t. Nahhht even close.

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I’d literally trade the entire franchise for Draymond. Any chance we can make that happen, Danny??!!!

Also keep in mind that if Kyrie does leave, the Celtics would be losing their top shooter from last season. And if we trade the house to get Capela, then Danny better make damn sure he grabs some other players who can shoot the rock, because you just cannot win in today’s game without ’em. You just can’t.

To reiterate, this is only a report, and we also have no idea what a potential trade package would even look like. Also, I totally realize the value of bringing in a young guy with as much talent as Capela. But remember, we might already have a young Capela in Robert Williams, and I feel like there are much more pressing areas of need for this team than what Capela can provide.

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Hey, don’t forget about Time Lord!

This story is still developing, but it might be providing some very interesting insight into the mind of Danny Ainge heading into what will be one hell of an offseason.

Other than that, though, it’s still a whole lot of rumors and speculation at this point. With the draft set for June 20, we may actually get some questions answered before the end of the month, but we likely won’t really see anything go down until free agency starts in July. Either way, it’ll be a blast, and we certainly won’t be bored once the dog days finally hit. Strap in, folks.

Isaiah Thomas Was Playing Pickup Ball With Random Kids at Emerson

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Just a true man of the people. It really is crazy when you see Isaiah Thomas in a situation like this with some regular folks because he doesn’t look out of place at all. In fact it makes it look even more preposterous that this 5’8″ guy even made the NBA, let alone was in the running for MVP a couple years back. I’m still bummed about the way Isaiah’s post-Celtics career has gone since the trade, but the guy puts in the work (both with the pros and the normies) and is positive AF so here’s to hoping he gets back to that level we’ve all seen so often around here.

In the Ultimate Cleveland Move, Browns Replace Pepsi with RC Cola

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Hilarious. Cleveland just can’t get out of its own way. Replacing Pepsi with store-brand soda is the ultimate “we’ve won 1 game in 2 years so we need to save some money” move.

You think Baker Mayfield drinks RC COLA? Not a chance. You drink RC Cola when you’re at your dad’s friends BBQ when you’re 9 and then complain because it tastes like flat paint.

If you want to be a respectable team it starts with the tiniest of details. Do Your Job applies to the concessions just as much as it does to the team on the field. Cutting corners like this will get you nowhere, Cleveland.

Maybe Isaiah Thomas wasn’t wrong.

Today Marks the 5 Year Anniversary of the Infamous Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets Trade of Pierce and Garnett for ALL the Draft Picks

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So Facebook reminded me that today marks the 5 year anniversary of the Celtics-Nets trade of Paul Pierce and KG for a BOATLOAD of draft picks. At the time I was a young’n living in Allston still holding onto the heyday of the Celtics. Hell, that 2012 NBA playoffs commercial for the Celtics is still my favorite NBA commercial to this day.

Young, athletic teams are exciting, but in my opinion nothing is more fun to watch than the old, proud, savvy veterans making a last stand.

I still vividly remember when the trade was first announced on ESPN because I was sitting at White Horse crushing some $2 Coors Lights. At the time I was pretty bummed because I loved Paul Pierce and KG is my favorite Celtic of all time. Cue the Facebook memory!

This was the best Celtics squad of my lifetime finally broken up, and probably a couple of years too late. But don’t tell that to former Nets GM Billy King, who was more than willing to pay top dollar for guys entering their age-36 and age-37 seasons in Pierce and Garnett.

Just look at the fucking quotes from King and former Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

“Honestly, did I think we could pull something like this off? No,” Nets general manager Billy King said during a Friday conference call. “… But (Celtics GM) Danny (Ainge) and I just kept working at it and got to the point where we both were comfortable.”

“Today, the basketball gods smiled on the Nets,” team owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement. “With the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, we have achieved a great balance on our roster between veteran stars and young talents. This team will be dazzling to watch and tough to compete against.”

Laugh out loud funny looking back.

Obviously that trade has been roasted in the years since and while it seemed like an overpay at the time, it wasn’t completely outlandish. People, Sports Illustrated included, thought the Nets were going to be awesome.

So the thinking was, “welp whats a few late first round picks?”

As we joked on the podcast the other day, the Celtics drafting this year at No. 27 overall is house money — just draft an absolute scrub or roll the dice on an asshole. Late first rounders in the NBA are rarely game changers.

Except, as we all know, the Nets experiment bombed miserably. Historically bad. I joke with my buddy who is a Nets fan that this is going to be the greatest 30 for 30 ever.

For the price of FOUR first round picks the Nets got 75 games out of Paul Pierce and 96 games out of KG. In those two years the Nets went 44-38 and 38-44.

The Nets then blew it up and proceeded to go:

  • 21-61 (2015-16)
  • 20-62 (2016-17)
  • 28-54 (2017-18)

Holy. Shit. What a bad deal.

Meanwhile, with those Nets picks the Celtics went on to draft and/or acquire via trade:

  • James Young – No. 17 overall (2014)
  • Jaylen Brown – No. 3 overall (2016)
  • Jayson Tatum – No. 1 overall (2017) *Celtics traded down to No. 3 to take Tatum and in the process picked up the following piece below
  • Kings 2019 1st round pick
  • Kyrie Irving – via trade of the Nets’ No. 8 overall pick, Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and a second round pick

So we actually get one more bite at the apple due to Danny’s draft day trade last year. As long as the Kings don’t get the No. 1 overall pick it goes to the Celtics and that will officially wrap up this debacle of a Nets trade.

Thanks again to Mikhail, Jay-Z, Billy King, and the borough of Brooklyn for fast tracking the Celtics rebuild and putting us back on the brink of the NBA Finals in just 5 years! If Jayson Tatum becomes the 1st-Team All-NBA player like I think he will then Nets fans probably have no choice but to become full blown Celtics fans. I mean when you think about it, this is basically the Bizarro Nets. God its good to be a Boston fan.

 

PS – Oh yea, Jason Terry was part of that deal too, but the Jet only played one season with the Nets as well. Terry is *still* playing by the way as he just wrapped up his 18th season with the Bucks.

Double PS – Lets go back and look at some of the reactions to this trade when it was announced because with hindsight being 20/20 these are some of the worst takes you’ll ever see.

The 300s Podcast: We’re Going Green and Breaking Down the Celtics Offseason

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Friend of the podcast Mattes joins us on this episode as we break down the Celtics offseason thus far, we go around the rest of the NBA, a 60 Second Review of Uncle Drew, and Mattes rips into LaVar Ball. Listen on iTunes, Google Play, and The 300s Podcast is also NOW ON SPOTIFYYYYY

  • What Have You Liked/Disliked About the Celtics Offseason So Far?
  • What is the Future in Boston for Marcus Smart, Kyrie Irving, and Kawhi Leonard?
  • Mattes’ 60 Second Review of Uncle Drew!
  • Should LeBron Be Charged With Insider Trading?
  • Paul George Resigning With OKC is a Win for Small Towns Everywhere
  • What’s Going on With Old Friend Isaiah Thomas?

Celtics Grab a Huge Win Last Night, But I’m Still Panicking Over Kyrie’s Knee

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The Celtics pulled out a huge improbable win over the Thunder last night on the backs of guys like Marcus Morris, Terry Rozier, and Jayson Tatum. The Thunder were running at full speed too with Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony all suiting up. All of which was a huge boost for a suddenly ailing Celtics team, but sitting at my desk this morning I can’t help but still be massively concerned with Kyrie Irving’s knee.

Yesterday afternoon Tony Massarotti broke the news that Kyrie was seeking a second opinion on his sore knee and that he could potentially have to get the screws removed from his surgically repaired knee, which would end his season.

Absolute worst case scenario. I assumed Kyrie was just resting up for the playoffs as the Celtics are basically locked into the No. 2 seed. Nope, apparently the doomsday scenario has been brewing all along. At least he’s not going hungry though.

Then later in the day Adrian Wojnarowski came out and did his best to alleviate all our fears.

That makes me feel a little better and at least gets me away from the ledge. I’m still debating smashing that panic button though.

Either way this isn’t a great situation to be in for the Celtics, short term or long term. Say he needs to get the screws out and his season’s over. Welp, I’ll see you and Gordon Hayward in the fall. No reason to even finish the season boys. But if Kyrie just needs rest then who’s to say the knee is going to really get any better? Kyrie playing on stilted legs is still better than half the league, but isn’t exactly going to fill me with confidence.

If you remember, Kyrie had knee surgery in 2015 after fracturing his knee cap, but he was still being quoted as recently as last year dropping F bombs in post game pressers about his knee flaring up. So this has been going on for quite a while now.

Now all of this begs the question of how does this affect the C’s long term? I still love the trade and would do it 100 times out of 100 to get a player of Kyrie’s caliber in Boston. You don’t just pick those guys up off the streets. The best free agent signing the Celtics have EVER landed was Al Horford, who the media around here have fetishized calling Average. My point being, even though Danny knew Kyrie’s knee would be a problem before making the trade, if you’re the Celtics you have to take the risk.

However, if we start looking at his contract, Kyrie has one year left on his deal after this season and then a player option after that. Usually players tend to opt out of those options and look for a big money long term contract. If Kyrie does in fact opt out and you’re the Celtics how comfortable do you feel giving a max deal to a guy with a bum knee?

In my opinion I don’t think it really matters all that much how you *feel* because unless Kyrie’s knee gets significantly worse or requires an additional surgery then you don’t have a choice. Pay. The. Man. The Celtics are in a win now mode so if Kyrie walks then that 2020 squad would theoretically be built around Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, and a 33-year-old Al Horford. Not good enough. The Celtics need Kyrie and to be honest he might need them.

Kyrie has never played a full 82 game season and has only played in 70+ games 3 times in 7 seasons. So while he is an elite talent in the NBA, he comes with his baggage, which again I am fully willing to sign off on. However after a broken foot at Duke, a broken knee cap in 2015, and then still not being totally healthy 3 years later, Kyrie may be more willing to sign an extension earlier (and possibly cheaper) than he originally intended. I know the Celtics didn’t offer him a giant extension, but just look at Isaiah Thomas as a cautionary tale. The guy played out of his mind, got hurt, then got traded into a couple of bad situations and now he’s staring down free agency much more likely to make 6th man money than the max extension he expected less than 12 months ago.

So I guess I’ll just sit here and twiddle my thumbs until Woj or Mazz or someone breaks some news that I can actually do something with. Until then I’ll just sit here doomsday prepping for what the Celtics will look like in 2020 without Kyrie Irving.

Rondo and Isaiah Thomas Get Into It, Both Get Ejected. I Miss These Guys

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Yahoo – Isaiah Thomas and Rajon Rondo got into a scuffle and were both ejected from Wednesday night’s game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers. And it stems from Boston Celtics beef. The two were each handed double technical fouls and given the boot. While it wasn’t immediately clear from game action why the two were so chippy, the announcers and Twitter speculated that the altercation stemmed from drama over Paul Pierce’s jersey retirement with the Celtics. It started when Thomas, who was due a brief honor from the Celtics after being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, asked to have his Boston moment moved to the same night of Pierce’s jersey retirement. The request didn’t have anything to do with Pierce, but Thomas’ desire to have his honor on a night that he would be healthy and playing.

I feel for Isaiah Thomas, I really do. Its like when you break up with a girl and move onto bigger and better things while your ex just spirals downward. He got hurt, got traded to Cleveland and surprise surprise didn’t get along with LeBron, got blamed for a shit Cavs team, and got traded again to the basement dwelling Lakers. And now he’s got Rondo giving him the business.

We had a great time together, watching IT was some of the most fun I’ve had watching the Celtics since KG and Pierce roamed the parquet. So I’ll always have a place in my heart for Isaiah.

BUT, Rondo, man. Rajon Rondo is a ride or die. The guy hasn’t played for the Celtics since 2014 and he still reps Boston just as hard.

Nobody crosses Paul Pierce on Rondo’s watch.

When Rondo was the precocious young point guard, KG took him under his wing and turned Rajon into a bulldog.

Something about Rondo just being a dickhead always endured him to Celtics fans. Like he was his own version of a Masshole. He was at one point compared to Chris Paul as the best PG in the league and Danny Ainge once even tried to trade him for Russell Westbrook straight up, which is laughable now. People forget how good Rondo once was though. But Rondo always showed up to ball and he was always ready to start a fist fight if need be.

I’ll never forget when Dwyane Wade basically broke Rondo’s arm on a dirty play under the hoop and Rondo came back into the game playing with one fucking arm.

 

I respect a good grudge and you just know Rondo, Pierce, and KG still have a deep hatred in their hearts for LeBron, Wade, and probably Ray Allen too. Those guys are a family and you never go against family. In Rondo’s mind, IT disrespected Pierce by asking for his tribute on the same night that No. 34 was going up into the rafters. You disrespect the family and Rondo’s coming for your head.

Ubuntu. Omerta. Whatever you wanna call it, nobody is disrespecting the Celtics legends. Not while Rajon Rondo still walks this earth.

I hate to see my two exes fighting in public, but goddamnit if it doesn’t remind me why I once loved them both.

Celtics Prominently Featured in NBA 2K18 Trailer and it Looks FIRE

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As I mentioned on this very blog not too long ago, the Celtics basically backdoored their way onto the cover of the biggest basketball video game in the world with the Kyrie Irving trade. So it should come as no surprise, but its still awesome to see Celtics green prominently featured in another excellent 2K trailer. Seriously, is this the only league that knows how to market a video game with music? Anyways, some of the highlights:

And yea, this one definitely hurt. Gonna suck seeing IT check what time it is with fucking LeBron yucking it up next to him.

Full trailer below: